Pricing is not about what your competitors charge. It's about what your work actually costs — plus a margin that makes the business worth running.
In this module, you'll build a complete service menu, use our pricing calculator to find your real break-even price, and learn how to upsell without feeling pushy.
Quick Answer
A standard shoe clean should be priced at $25–$45 for most markets. Calculate your real cost first: labor at your target hourly rate + supplies (~$2–$5 per pair) + overhead. Most new cleaners undercharge because they skip this step. A 55–70% gross margin is a healthy target, and protector spray is the easiest upsell — add $10–$18 for 5 minutes of work.
Clean shoes command premium prices — if you know how to present your value.
The #1 Pricing Mistake
New shoe cleaners almost always undercharge. Not because they're bad at business — because they're guessing instead of calculating.
They look at a competitor charging $25 for a basic clean and think: "I'll charge $20 to win on price." What they don't realise is that competitor might be losing money too, or their costs are much lower because of volume. Competing on price without understanding your costs is how good businesses go broke slowly.
The real question isn't "what do competitors charge?" It's "what do I need to charge to make this business worth running?"
Calculate Your Real Cost Per Pair
Before you set a single price, work out what it actually costs you to clean one pair of shoes:
Cost Per Deep Clean
*Rent, utilities, insurance divided by monthly jobs
At a cost of ~$22, you need to charge at least $35–$40 to make this worthwhile.
Use the Pricing Calculator
Drag the sliders to match your real situation — your time per pair, your target hourly rate, and your supply costs. The calculator tells you your minimum price and projected monthly revenue.
Pricing Calculator
Drag the sliders to find your ideal price
Cost per pair
$19.00
labor + supplies + overhead
Suggested price (70% margin)
$35
per pair
Based on the calculator, what's your minimum price for a standard clean? Does this surprise you? Is it higher or lower than you expected to charge?
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Build Your Service Menu
A clear service menu does three things: it tells customers what they're getting, it tells your team what's expected, and it lets CleaningPOS automate the pricing when you take an order.
| Service | What's Included | Time | Suggested Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Express Clean | Exterior brush only | 15 min | $15–$20 |
| Standard CleanPopular | Upper + midsole + laces | 30–45 min | $25–$35 |
| Deep CleanPopular | All above + stain treatment + outsole | 60 min | $45–$55 |
| Suede / Nubuck Clean | Dry brush method + protector | 45–60 min | $50–$65 |
| Leather Refresh | Condition + polish + edge paint | 30 min | $35–$45 |
| Sole Restoration | UV treatment + midsole repaint | 90 min | $60–$90 |
| Full Restoration | Custom quote — repaint, structural repair | 2–4 hrs | $100–$250+ |
| Sole Cleaning Only(add-on) | Outsole only | 10 min | $12–$18 |
| Protector Spray(add-on) | Water/stain repellent coating | 5 min | $10–$18 |
| Deodorising(add-on) | Odour eliminator inside the shoe | 5 min | $8–$12 |
| Lace Replacement(add-on) | New laces + re-lace | 5–10 min | $8–$20 |
Revenue at Different Volumes
Here's a simple picture of what your business could look like as you grow. These numbers assume an average job value of $35.
Monthly Revenue by Weekly Volume (avg $35/job)
* These are revenue figures — your profit depends on your cost per job. Use the calculator above to find your numbers.
Packages & Bundles That Work
One-off prices are fine. But packages lock in loyalty, increase average transaction value, and give you predictable revenue. Here are three templates:
Starter Pack
3 standard cleans for the price of 2
- ✓3× Standard cleans
- ✓Valid for 3 months
- ✓Free protector spray on first visit
First-time customers — introduce them to your quality
Monthly Maintenance
$89/month
- ✓4× Standard cleans per month
- ✓Priority booking
- ✓10% off add-ons
Collectors who want a regular schedule
Collector's Club
$149/month
- ✓2× Deep cleans per month
- ✓Free protector spray
- ✓Priority 24-hour turnaround
- ✓Monthly before/after photo set
Serious collectors and resellers
The Upsell at Checkout
At pickup — when the customer sees their clean shoes for the first time and they're happy — is the best moment to offer an add-on. You don't need to be pushy. Just ask:
"They've come up really well. Want me to add a protector spray before you take them? It's £12 and keeps them cleaner for longer — takes me 5 minutes."
Most people say yes. That's £12 extra on a £40 job — a 30% uplift for 5 minutes of work. CleaningPOS lets you add services at checkout with one click, so there's no awkward re-quoting.
Look at your service table. Which two add-ons will you always offer at checkout? How will you phrase the offer so it feels helpful, not salesy?
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Key Takeaways from Module 3
- Calculate your cost per job before you set any price — no more guessing.
- Your minimum price for a standard clean is usually $30–$40 once you include labor.
- Build a menu with at least 5 services and 2 add-ons that you always offer at checkout.
- Packages improve retention and increase predictable monthly revenue.
- Enter your service menu into CleaningPOS — it saves time and reduces pricing errors.
This Week's Actions — Module 3
0/5 doneKnowledge Check — Module 3
4 questionsQ1.What is the most common pricing mistake new shoe cleaners make?
Q2.Which of the following is a correct example of gross margin calculation?
Q3.A customer brings in a pair of limited-edition Jordans worth $350. You quote $45 for a deep clean. How should you think about this price?
Q4.Which service is the easiest upsell to add at checkout for almost every customer?
Ready to move on?
Continue to Module 4: Operations & Tools →